Video: How TJ Miller Got a Part in "Yogi Bear" Movie

It was recently announced that Warner Bros was moving forward with a "Yogi Bear" movie, which will be a mix of animation and live-action. The part of Yogi went to Dan Aykroyd, while his sidekick Boo-Boo will be voiced by Justin Timberlake.

In the recent weeks, the studio has been auditioning people for the part of Ranger Jones (live-action), eventually deciding on TJ Miller (Cloverfield, Extract) after seeing his audition reel in which Miller reads his lines with a real bear. Watch video below.

Apparently, Miller auditioned twice, but it was only when his reel ended up in the hands of Warner Bros chairman Barry Meyer that he was eventually offered the part. "I'm excited about this role because they saw the reel and appreciated what a bizarre dude I am," he told The Apiary.

Miller is now in New Zealand where director Eric Brevig (Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D) has started filming.

Editor's note: I'm not sure if The Apiary made a mistake, but the main Ranger's name on the show was Ranger Smith. Maybe Miller will play a different Ranger, since Nate Corddry (The Ugly Truth) was just hired to play the Chief of Staff in the movie.

@ranger - I just like to say Ranger you should be glad you're not TJ Miller. This is by far one of the dumbest ideas for a movie ever! Animated shows, if EVER turned into a movie, should stay animated to keep the style and the feeling of the series. I don't know why the studios wouldn't. Seems way less expensive than creating digital characters. I mean are the studios frikkin retarded!